How to Catch Detroit River Walleye

This video covers the basics of jigging for walleye in the Detroit River. For more great articles on fishing the Great Lakes region, check out our blog at thegreatlakesfisherman.com.
0:00 Intro
0:30 The Jig
3:46 The Rod & Reel
4:48 The Line
5:50 The Technique
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Here is my go-to setup:
5/8-3/4 oz Jig Head (bright colors in dark water and matching to plastics in clear water) tipped with one of the following plastics and finished with a live minnow (cold water) or night-crawler (warmer water) and a good stinger hook ( • The Stinger Hook )
Recommended Plastics
Lunker City Fin-S Fish (4") in Blue Ice: amzn.to/3V6xnUV
Lunker City Fin-S Fish (4") in Chartreuse Ice: amzn.to/48Y3BoZ
Lunker City Fin-S Fish (4") in Wonderbread: bassproshops.vzck.net/c/37932...
Black Wyandotte Worm: • The Stinger Hook

[@RobTaylor1966]

Great explanation probably one of the best I have ever heard! Great job! I am going to St Clair this weekend and can’t wait to try it again!

[@thegreatlakesfisherman]

Glad you liked it. I hope it helps you catch more fish!

[@markheidema3699]

Thanks for sharing! Going out on the River for the first time. Excited to use the techniques that you mentioned.

[@thegreatlakesfisherman]

Thanks for the comment. Good luck out there! Should be ramping up here shortly.

[@radfishguy6784]

Nicely explained! Boat control is number one in my opinion. The boats with the most powerful trolling motors compared to boat size usually have it the easiest if it's windy.

[@thegreatlakesfisherman]

Great point! Quick adjustments are necessary, especially when the wind is variable in direction.

[@Moondog9322]

Nicely done.....very informational. liked and subbed

[@thegreatlakesfisherman]

Thanks - we appreciate the feedback!

[@gregoryfuzi4745]

That's how I fish them from the pier in st Joseph Michigan. Fishing the St Joseph River into lake Michigan. Got pics of nice fish including walleye.

[@thegreatlakesfisherman]

What else do you catch jigging like that?

[@Joe_Duchon]

Great video! Hey, I was subscriber # 1000 🎉

[@thegreatlakesfisherman]

Thanks for your support and the kind words!

[@kenseymour5152]

When I first started jigging walleye I had a bad habit of popping it up and not following it down I missed a lot of fish over that as soon as I broke that habit I doubled the amount of fish I caught. Went out Thursday and limited in the first pass in front of the candle sticks

[@thegreatlakesfisherman]

LOL. Same here! It's always the small things that make the biggest difference. One of things I love about the sport of fishing is that there is always something to improve to make you better.

[@brezovo59]

Color bait for clear and dark water?

[@thegreatlakesfisherman]

In clear water, more natural looking plastics are best with silvery, white or black jig heads. Or a jig head that matches the bait. Not sure what you mean by “dark”. But if you mean low visibility, chartreuse, hot pink, and bright orange are good jig head colors. The plastic in those cases matter less that the jig head IMO. I also have a video on bait selection: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l2S4qJ-He8x3Y7M

[@geostrong3606]

What ur go to baits for this

[@thegreatlakesfisherman]

Check the description. I usually use a 5/8 to a 3/4" jig head, depending on current, wind, etc. I want just enough weight to feel the bottom on each jig stroke. In terms of color combos, I like a chartreuse or other bright jighead when the water is cloudy or heavily stained. In my view, this catches their eye in that kind of water. In terms of the plastics, wonderbread pattern is a good one in stained water. When the water is clear, I'll go with a more matching combination between the jighead and the plastic in more natural looking colors. Blue ice, emerald ice, chartreuese ice, purple ice, are all great colors along with matching jigheads in clear water. Wyandotte worms are also a great choice. Hope this helps!

[@adamsfamilynfun1409]

Just bought a 17’ bay line capri with outboard motor, how stupid would I be or look, walleye fishing the detroit river without a trolling motor? Any tips? Want to take my son and get him hooked, but I’m also a newbie at walleye fishing.

[@thegreatlakesfisherman]

In the Detroit River you have to be able to control your speed to keep your line vertical. Back in the day, we used to control it by using the outboard in reverse. So if you have an engine that can throttle down low enough, you may able to do that. As far as looking at stupid goes, there is no such thing. There are guys that will fish from wave runners out there. Give it a try. 😁

[@awakenedtotruth8419]

The fluorocarbon line also has phenomenal properties to use as the main or leader line. Like braid, its low stretch will detect bites in deep water or way back trolling. It sinks so is not a good option for top water. Most important is that it is invisible under water and very strong and abrasion resistant.

[@thegreatlakesfisherman]

Appreciate the comment and agree wholeheartedly!

[@abec8929]

Is it still a good time to fish out in the Detroit river?

[@thegreatlakesfisherman]

Walleye can be caught year-round in the river, but when the spawning run is going on (usually April and early May) they are much more prevalent. Once the run is over, many of the fish return to Lake Erie. June is a great month to fish Lake Erie, but walleye can still be found in the river and jigging will still work. You just won’t likely catch as many. Hope this helps!

[@abec8929]

@@thegreatlakesfisherman thank you so much!

[@thegreatlakesfisherman]

You’re very welcome!

[@northernwaters.anglers.nation]

How was the fishing today

[@thegreatlakesfisherman]

LOL. Wasn't fishing today.

[@zouhairsuleiman1453]

I’ve been fishing 🎣 in that area for over 40 years and it doesn’t matter what type of rod or real or line or what color jig and twister you use even if you use minnows or night crawlers you’ll catch your walleye limit for sure

[@thegreatlakesfisherman]

I agree that at times (especially during the spawn), you will limit regardless. But I will argue that the limit comes faster with certain enhancements. The rod/reel is probably the least critical. But the braid does catch them at a faster rate. Color matters more without live bait, but I agree with you that there are times of the year, where it matters a lot less. We are lucky to have such a phenomenal fishery in our backyard here in Michigan. Thanks for the comment.

[@michiganfishingnationtv]

Not true at all.

[@leonardmartin5145]

Nope you don't have to use that technique, jigging a paddletail while the boat is in spotlock smashes um

[@thegreatlakesfisherman]

Yes there are many techniques that catch walleye. The one I am presenting is the most commonly used on the river. Thanks for the comment!